Don’t Come Any Closer
by Foopuff
Summary: I need help. Don’t believe me? What if I told you that every night, I have the same dream over and over again: The death of my best friend, Zelda. It differs every night. Strangling, stabbing, neck-breaking- What the hell are they trying to tell me? And why does my shadow seem to mock me in each one? Please, forgive me. Shink/Zelink. Post OoT and MM. Shadowhunter references.
1. Never Come Back

_I have barely seen a trace of Link since our last training session a month ago. I've scoured the whole damn city to find the green-clad hero, and where do I find him? Telma's bar, a part of the entourage for the Indigo-Go's. I make sure my cowl's pulled up over the bridge of my nose, and I tap him on the shoulder. He turns around and stumbles back a bit in shock._

 _I smile bitterly behind the cowl. "Hey. Miss me?"_

 _He looks down so his blonde bangs cover his eyes, and he mumbles something too low for me to hear. My brow furrows in confusion, and I ask softly,_

 _"Link? Why aren't you talking to me?"_

 _"Because I_ can't _talk to you," Link finally snaps. "I can't talk to you, I can't be with you, I can't even look at you."_

 **WWWWW**

... And that's how I got here. Out of the warm and dry tavern and running into the pouring rain, blinking back moisture that wasn't from the weather. To think, that I EVER entertained the though of him actually being my friend... or something more. _Nayru, I was so dumb!_

So _STOP CRYING ALREADY!_

I make a frustrated noise as I quickly stride through the marketplace, swiping at my teary eyes and thankful for the empty roads. Since it's still raining hard, no one's insane enough to venture outside and catch their death. Except for me. I don't care that I'm the princess of gods-damned Hyrule, I don't care if people see me like this, I don't care that I'm dressed as a Sheikah boy, I shouldn't care about what that fairyboy thinks of me, and I especially don't care about catching the GODDAMN SNIFFLES.

Not at a time like this.

Someone roughly grabs my shoulder and tries to get me to face them with the other. "Zelda! Gods, will you let me explain?!" I glare up at the panicked expression of Link, the Hero of Hyrule, and lightning flashes as I notice the purple bruises under his deep blue, usually warm eyes, that are now looking at me with deep hurt. _Well, fuck you, I'm hurt too._ "What is it, _Hero._ " I spit- It's not stated as a question, as I try to put all of my emotions into those few words.

I give up on telepathy and punch him in the gut.

He blocks it, and grips my hand tight to prevent another blow from the same hand. I want to scream. So I do. "You can't even be bothered to talk to me anymore, or even _look_ at me, so what caused that to change _now_? Do you think because you don't need me anymore you can just chuck me over your shoulder like garbage?" As I shout what I've been bottling up for the past month, he looks increasingly more and more tortured. I yank my hand out of his grasp with finality and chuckle without humor. I turn to walk away, and _never_ come back. "If that's truly what you want, then, I guess that's fine by-"

He spins me around again, and this time his eyes are full of an intensity I remember from the old days. I open my mouth to protest, to lash out more, to do _something_ \- but before I could, he takes my chin in his gloved hand, roughly pulls down my cowl, and kisses me, full of heat and warmth. After the initial shock of _OH MY GOD LINK'S KISSING ME_ I take my bandaged hands and twine them behind his neck, pulling him closer. I forget about the anger that has poisoned my heart for the past month and get lost in the desperation our kiss reminded me of.

He parts our lips long enough to lead me into a back alley, which I'm pretty sure connects to the tavern's backdoor, and once we're there, I stand there shivering, glancing at him for an explanation.

 _Damn rain. Wait- we're not in the rain anymore-_

He scans the alley, before his eyes settle back onto me again. Link stands in front of me with his left arm braced on the wall behind me, and I can feel the heat radiating off of him as he leans close enough to whisper in my ear, "I need-" a slow kiss on my forehead, "to tell you something-" down my cheek, "but I don't know where to start-" I give up on restraint, and grab his tunic by the front so we're nose to nose. "Maybe not right now."

He smiles softly, and my heart flips as he finally closes the distance and our lips touch again.

"ARE YOU _SERIOUS_?!?"

We both jump, and snap our heads to the voice. It was one of the Gerudo, with her red hair glowing from the light inside, and she smacks a hand to her head. Her bracelets klink as she makes the _duh_ gesture.

"I've been trying to get your attention all night- you should've told me you were into guys, handsome." Even though it's too dark for her to see my face in detail, I hurriedly pull my cowl up and use my Sheik voice. I raise an eyebrow. "Who's this, Link? A friend of yours?" She holds her hands up, and walks back into the tavern's backdoor, shouting over her shoulder, "Don't let _me_ interrupt." The door slams shut, and she's gone.

I turn back to Link and find him staring at me wide-eyed, as if finally registering what he'd done. I would've made some sort of teasing jibe if his eyes didn't look so haunted. He blinks back tears- _he's crying? Why?!-_ and backs away from me, repeatedly whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He pulls out a Deku nut from his pouch and throws it onto the ground. It briefly illuminates his horrified face before it blinds me with a giant flash of light.

And then he was gone.

 **WWWWWWW**

 _[Heyyy... so I was feelin' kinda nostalgic for the Shadowhunter series and remembered that this scene from City of Fallen Angels and another scene from City of Glass actually made me tear up a bit. (I might do something with the latter scene in another story, maybe not... it involves a LOT of shouting). This was supposed to be a one-shot, but who knows, I might continue it. Sheik is Zelda in this, but I love it when others make Sheik into his/her own person. I just knew I wouldn't do it right, so voila! I didn't know who could replace Isabelle, so I kinda added my own twist to it. Btw, The Mortal Instruments is my favorite book series (you should go check it out if you havent already), and I'm obsessed with the Legend of Zelda (if you couldn't tell)._

 _It's supposed to be after all the storyline stuff in OoT and MM, when Link returns after a few years of fruitless search for Navi. Over the next few weeks Zelda sees him slowly but surely draw into himself, as his nightmares get more and more vivid, and his shadow disappears at random. Link doesn't want to hurt the ones he cares about. So he thought that avoiding them would protect them..._

 _to be continued? Or end on a ominous note? Hmmm..._

 _Eh, sorry for rambling, but anyways, tell me what you think about my little drabble in a review...]_


	2. Never Fast Enough

I've been at the castle since I was fifteen. After I stopped the Moon from falling in Termina, I kept traveling for four more years, helping with monster infestations here and there, until I finally realized that Navi, my partner and friend, was never going to come back. I spent another year traveling back to Hyrule, and a few months visiting the old dungeons. I had to make sure they weren't cursed again while I was away. They weren't, fortunately, and I had the chance to visit Goron City, where I hoped I was still recognizable. I'd grown a bit since our last meeting, but Darunia still remembered me as his "Sworn Brother," and I got to meet little Link, the son he named after me, which was really something.

I tried to avoid the Zora domain, though. No offense to Zora's, but I didn't feel like getting roped into another engagement.

Eventually, though, I was drawn back to Hyrule Castle, and I just _knew_ I had to see her again.

So, I used my old route through the castle and went to see Zelda.

When she saw me, she almost didn't recognize me at first. Then when her memory from the Years That Never Happened clicked, Zelda's eyes widened and she barreled towards me. "Link!" She crashed into me, and we both toppled over onto my back. I was worried about the Ocarina in my back pouch, so I reached a hand behind me to make sure it was alright. While I was still trying to figure it out, the guards that were stationed in the garden came running. It... looked bad, from their viewpoint, I guess. I had a tight hold on the princess, and was reaching behind me 'for a weapon,' they claimed. Yeah, ocarinas can be used as murder weapons too, I guess.

I was still mad that they ruined our reunion, and was standing off the the side with two guards on either side of me as Zelda made introductions.

I think my irritation was displayed on my face, because they had their hands on their weapons the whole time. They probably didn't hear a _word_ she said, and when Zelda introduced me as the Hero of Time, I could tell that they didn't believe her. I had my arms crossed, and I scowled further as the Triforce piece in my left hand flared under the scrutiny, hopefully blinding them.

After that was a bit of a blur, with me meeting the King and being instantly promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard.

Fast forward to the present, and my seventeenth birthday is in two days.

 **WWWW**

 _One month earlier~_

" _LINK_!"

Snapped out of my thoughts, I start and release the ivy with a yell. I fall from my spot on the wall and land with a heavy _thud_ on my back, knocking the breath out of me. As I struggle to sit up, I cough and wheeze, "Yes, your highness?"

Zelda's braided golden hair is tinged a slight orange by the setting sun, and I can see she changed out of her formal attire into trousers - _oh the scandal_!- and a loose fitting blue shirt with arm bracers.

She looks at me strangely, then seems to decide against commenting on my uncharacteristic tumble. Instead, she sighs theatrically, and says, "All my soldiers are going to die from heart attacks by the time you're through with them." As I stand up and dust myself off, I roll my eyes. "Since no one bothers to look up anymore, I'm trying to get them into the habit. Did you know you're the only one that saw me up there without the aid of an 'accidentally' dropped pot?" Zelda looks around her to find broken pottery littering the ground beneath her feet. She smiles a little, and mutters something about magic pockets. I disregard it, as I've already tried to explain it five times, and continue on my rant. "Seriously, I could've climbed just on the ivy and visited your balcony multiple times, and no one would've seen me! Not-" I hastily add, "That I would do such a thing."

As I glance behind me for potential eavesdroppers, I hear her breathe a small laugh herself. "No, only hypothetically speaking, I assume."

"Quite right."

"And you know that since you're my best friend and most trusted guard, you can use _the door_ like everyone else."

"But where's the fun in that?"

She shakes her head and glances at me with her crimson eyes. I snort and tap my cheek. She gives a startled blink and her eyes turn back to their piercing blue. "Almost got caught there, _princess_."

She sticks out her tongue at me, "Sorry I anticipated an adventure today, _Hero._ And you were caught climbing the ivy under a woman's rooms, too! _Scandalous_ , if I must say." Zelda says with a nasally noblewoman's drawl.

I smirk and shrug, and fall in step behind her as she walks in the direction of the kitchen. "Yeah, but that's different-" I stop mid-thought, and sniff the air.

" _Are those-_ "

Zelda gives up on appearing dainty and laughs with abandon, "Yes, Link, those are Kokiri Cakes. Saria sent the recipe over for the special occasion. Because, you know, _usually_ people only turn seventeen once."

A grin splits my face, and I run towards the doors. "You better keep up, or they'll all be gone by the time you get there!" As I hear her protest and chase after me, I feel happy I can still experience this.

 **WWWWWWW**

 _I wake up to a noise coming from my door, and I contemplate ignoring it, before realizing it may be important if they're here in the middle of the night. I sit up, rub my eyes and yawn. Then I pad my way towards the door._

 _I open it a crack to peek through, then swing it wide when I see who's there._

 _"Zelda?!" I whisper-shout, "Do you_ _know_ _what_ time _it is?"_

 _She looks at me, with her beautiful crimson eyes and Sheikah outfit that brings back memories, and laughs at my expression. She pulls down her cowl, and I see mischief in her eyes. "C'mon, I want to go outside the castle tonight! Not far, just on the hills that overlook Castle Town."_

 _"Why?"_

 _She stops smiling, but she still has a twinkle in her eye. "Because I want to be with you. Isn't that enough?"_

 _My heart flips in my chest, and I sigh. I walk out of my room, and lock it behind me. I turn around and we're already on top of the hill- how did that happen?- and I'm decked out in my hero gear, the familiar weight of a sword resting on my shoulder. Zelda- or is she Sheik now?- is staring at me, as if ready to go. The moon shines brightly over us, but it feels... off._

 _My mind tries to correct me and say that the moon's glow was always red._

 _I look down, dread spreading through my stomach, as I hope to the Gods it wasn't what I thought it was-_

 _The deep shadows at my feet blink back at me, and a smile curls with bloodlust. I don't know how I can see a dark reflection of myself in a shadow, but that's basically it. Instead of immediately stabbing it, like I usually would, I stumble back as the Shadow replica climbs out of the dark patch in the grass, and turns towards Zelda, the grin never leaving his face. I shout for her to run, but before she could process my words, he was behind her. I reach to quickly grab a throwing knife, a Deku nut,_ something _\- but no matter how fast I react, it's never fast enough._

 _He grabs her head and twists, making a cracking and snapping noise. Zelda drops to the floor, her neck resting at an unnatural angle, with her eyes and mouth bleeding crimson. In the darkness of the night, only illuminated by the blood moon, the only color in existence was that shade of crimson; the same shade as her eyes. I stare in horror at that look of betrayal and surprise stuck onto her features, seeing through me._

 _Nononono_

 _notagainpleaseFarore_

 _The Shadow replica gives a bone chilling laugh, and looks at me deliberately with his black, pupil-less eyes as he brings his heel down on Zelda's head-_

I jolt awake, panting and feeling nauseous. I jump off my cot and vomit what still vaguely resembles the Kokiri Cakes I managed to eat. Luckily I developed a habit of keeping a bucket next to me when I turn in for the night.

What does it mean?

I've had that recurring dream for a week now, and it's starting to take its toll on me. Every time I blink, the image of a broken Zelda flashes into existence, and it's getting harder and harder to ignore. I can't keep pretending like this. She's already noticed something off today when I fell from the ivy.

Should I talk to her about this? She has the Triforce piece of Wisdom, after all... No. I don't want to ruin our friendship with this. But what the hell's causing them?!

I curl into a ball on the floor, and squeeze my eyes shut. My breath's coming in shallow pants, and I know that this can't keep continuing. I'll tell her after my birthday. Yeah, that'll have to do. I don't want her to be worrying more than she has to.

I try to drown out the crack of a breaking neck and maniacal laughter with my frantic whispered prayers, and hope that the morning is near.

Din, Nayru, and Farore, help me. And keep Zelda safe.

 **WWWW**

 _[Welp, here's another chapter. My gosh, this was really interesting to write. Sorry for the first chapter, where I plopped you in the middle of this world, it's something I need to work on as a writer. I forget that you guys can't see into my head. Heh. So, this chapter gets a little darker, and the next will still be Link's POV, and I'm trying to build up the events that lead to the first chapter. It might take a bit, it might not. I thought I could explain it all in one chapter, but nope! Not like what I planned! Btw, I'm making Zelda a tomboy of sorts. I mean, the gossip stones said she was in-game, and I like the idea of a not-so-dainty princess that the troops can respect on a buddy-basis. She likes to battle, train, and just have fun with Link in general. I probably thought way too much about this universe. I will probably reveal more stuff later._

 _I need to say thank you to the people that reviewed, because otherwise I might not have continued this~ so thank you, Lleu and Ember228 for the support! Glad to hear you liked it, sorry for the lack of context. These next chapters should help with that a bit. To further warn, this story might get darker violence-wise, so be prepared for that... just in case. I'm not_ promising _anything bloody, but, ya know, who knows? Also, I'm so sorry about the inconsistent updates, I have no idea when the next chapter will be out..._

 _Well, thanks for reading through this, hope you enjoyed it, have a good day, and leave a review! It could be a prediction of the future (totally not trying to get some more ideas... totally), what you particularly liked about the chapter, what was bugging you, what I can work on, etc. When you review, you get a special portion of this review paragraph dedicated to ya! WOOP!_

 _So, until next time,_

 _Foopuff :-D]_


	3. Never Tell Her

" _Hiyah!"_

I barely manage to block her spinning kick and grab her foot midair. I twist it and Zelda yells as her whole body turns with her foot. She lands heavily on the hard bamboo floor, and instead of immediately getting up, she flops her arms and legs out as she continues coughing. I grin a little bit, and lean down to offer her a hand.

Zelda pauses, then grabs my hand with a grateful smile. Belatedly, I think to myself, _Oh shit— that isn't a grateful smile,_ as she kicks me in the stomach and yanks on my arm, throwing me over her. I land with a _thud_ and lay there, coughing and glaring at nothing. I can hear her laugh as I wheeze, "Dirty move. Doesn't count."

Another hearty laugh, "Yeah, and kidney shots are clean. Right."

" _The match was over_."

"Not to me! And besides, I gotta pull out all the stops going up against you."

I sigh, dragging a hand over my warm and sweaty face. The sweat stings my eyes as I open them and turn my head towards her. "Oh well. Guess that means I'll have to start trying harder in our matches."

She snorts and says. " _I almost beat you._ Get over it, I'm getting better."

I roll onto my stomach and stand up. Brushing the dust off of my standard blue sparring shirt, I look down at her. Her red eyes, long braided golden hair, and exhilarated mischievous grin makes something tug in my chest. She's also dressed in a casual blue guard's sparring shirt and shorts. I say with a hand on my hip, not looking at her, "I'm not gonna offer you a hand again because I don't wanna get flipped on my ass again."

I hear Zelda blow a raspberry and stand up by herself. "Luckily I don't need your help to stand on my own two feet."

I glance at her, then roll my eyes. "Whatever you say, Princess." She punches me lightly on the arm, and we both go to the water bench.

There's no one else in the sparring room. The walls are a rich wooden brown and the floor is made of bamboo from the outskirts of the Kokiri Forest. The wall we're next to has every kind of weapon you can think of: ball and chain, electrum whips, dulled broadswords, daggers, bowstaffs— hell, even a boomerang. Don't really know what my soldiers would be doing with _that_ though.

I plop onto the bench and sip from my personal water bag. Zelda does the same thing, albeit a bit more gracefully, and sighs. She casts me a side long glance. "Think we should be finished for today?"

I want to say no, but reason gets the better of me as I nod. "Yeah. That should be enough."

We sit in silence, with the occasional sip from our water bags, when suddenly Zelda lights up. "Oh! Before I forget-" she runs to the door, and as I'm about to shout something and follow her, she waves a hand behind her. "Stay here! I'll be right back!" And disappears through it.

The silence she left behind feels as thick as a heavy blanket, smothering to say the least. Without noise or anything to distract me, my thoughts unwillingly snap back to my previous dreams. It all comes in flashes.

 _nonotagainpleasefarore—_

 _A snapping noise, a piercing cackle—_

 _A gaping wound, a knife between my fingers—_

 _Blood, as crimson as her eyes—_

 _My hands stained, while my shadow mocks me—_

I break into a cold sweat and start panting. No. No, please. Stop. Stop it. _Why won't it STOP-_

An idea finally came to my head, and I hastily pull out my ocarina. I start to play the song of healing. After the first three notes, though, I can't hear it anymore. It's as if my head's been submerged in water.

 _I can't hear my ocarina anymore_.

 **What will you do without your precious crutch** _? I don't know I don't know_

 _I don't know._

The door bangs open and I snap back into reality, almost as if I had never left it. Everything came back into focus, and I see Zelda come in like a whirlwind, holding a box. I try to control my trembling and put my ocarina somewhere unnoticeable. Her elation slips a little when she takes in the look on my face. "Link? Are you okay?"

I swallow the bitter lump in my throat. Should I tell her?

"I-". Out of the corner of my eye, I see the shadows of the room move and morph. Black, pupil-less eyes and a demonic grin stare back at me. My stomach drops.

 _He's here._

No. I'm afraid I can never tell her. Not if I want her to stay alive.

"I'm fine."

I clench my fists to hide the trembling, and force a careless grin. She doesn't look like she buys it. Zelda opens her mouth to probably ask further, but I interrupt. "What's that behind your back?" I point, and she seems to finally remember why she ran out in the first place. Her face turns a bit pink, and hopefully forgets about what she was about to ask. Zelda gives me a box wrapped in parchment paper.

"I knew how much you needed this, so..."

I look at her, then slowly open the box. My eyes light up.

"A glass bottle! Nayru, Din, and Farore, I've been looking everywhere for another one! Where the hell did you find this?!"

She laughs, then says, "The Gerudo market has a large assortment of rare goodies."

"When did you go out of town?"

"In the middle of the night. On horseback. With my disguise."

I wince, and look back up at her. "You know that since I'm the Captain of The Royal Guard, and therefore _your guard,_ I'm supposed to be protecting you, right?"

She waves it off. "You're not even done with the box yet."

I sigh, and grumble, "If it's a signed portrait of Princess Ruto again, I'm resigning."

Zelda laughs, and says, "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we? Just look!" She's grinning from ear to ear. She may be remembering what I did to the portrait (I vandalized it with a mustache, double chin and glasses, and put it back on Zelda's bed. I wrote a note, too—

" _Screw you._

 _With all love and sincerity,_

 _Link"_

She may or may not still have my note.)

I pull out a large pouch from the box, and open it to see the contents. "Deku nuts?"

"Yeah! I thought they were pretty fun when I was Sheik, so I thought you might like some more."

She's standing with her arms behind her back, looking sheepish. "Well, happy birthday, Link."

I put the gift to the side and stand up to hug her. I squeeze her as if it's the last time I'll ever see her. I murmur, "Thank you, Zelda. For everything." Zelda smiles and says in reply, "Hope you liked it." I hope she understands that I meant more than the gifts.

We finally let go and I see Zelda look at me with worry. "Hey, before I gave you your gift, what happened?"

Shit. I thought she'd forgotten. "Nothing. Just a cramp."

She stares at me in disbelief, but doesn't question me further.

As we both move to leave the room, I glance back at the shadows. I look down and my shadow is where it's supposed to be. Whatever was there before is gone now.

I sigh, and close the door behind me.

 **WWWWWW**

"I need your help."

Naomi, the old potion lady and authentic mystic, looks at me warily over her work. "Like the last time you needed my 'help' to give the Princess's last suitor a pair of trousers with itch powder?"

I shake my head. "Different. Can we please talk about it?"

"About the itch trousers? Certainly. The ingredients were-"

" _Not-_ not about the itch pants."

She puts down her herbs and says, "Fine. Just give me a few minutes. I'm almost finished with this, and if I stop now, I could ruin the whole thing."

I nod, and she gestures to the hidden room with her free hand. As I walk through the door, I can feel my nose tickle at the bitter scent of burning herbs in the air. I sit down on a wooden chair and use my time to flit my eyes around the room. The low lighting combined with the purples and blues of the walls leave me with a sense of uneasiness. It feels like the shifting shadows are moving of their own accord.

Before my thoughts could delve too far, however, Naomi appears through the door. Her stooped, frail frame was covered by a dark blue shawl, and she had shrewd, calculating eyes behind her sharp beak-like nose. The room's lighting gives her pale skin a bluish tinge, and her ash-blonde hair was done up in a messy bun. She hobbles towards the chair across from me, and sits down with a groan. "I'm getting too old for this. Sooner or later I may have to pass on the shop... Good thing that my son has the potion passion, too..."

"I'll miss you when you do, Mrs. Naomi. You've helped me through more than you probably know."

Naomi waves an arthritis-gnarled hand at me. "Oh, quit sucking up. What do you want?"

I draw a breath in, then say, "I have a problem. And I have no idea who to ask on how to fix it."

Her eyebrows scrunch up in confusion, but she nods for me to continue.

"My... my dreams have been haunting me for the past few weeks, and I've noticed a common thread. In every one of them, either I end up killing the Princess," I hear a sharp intake of breath, "Or something _else_ does. But no matter how the dream goes, he's always there. Committing the act, or out of the corner of my vision- it's always somewhere. And I don't know what to do. I have this feeling that I can't tell Zelda, either, otherwise my nightmares could become reality. I need to know how to stop this. Please."

By the time I finish, her eyes have widened considerably. She chuckles morbidly, "Well. This is a bit more serious than itch-trousers."

I give her a dead look, and she clears her throat. Naomi says, "A shadow, you said? Did it have any definite shape?"

"Yeah. It looked... just like me."

Naomi opens her mouth to say something, but I interrupt her and start talking faster.

"But with inky, pupil-less eyes, and his hair always appears as a stark white. He also looks like he's made of something that doesn't belong in our reality."

Naomi pauses to consider everything I've said. "So... do you think _he's_ back?"

No. Definitely not. "No, I saw all Seven Sages seal him away in the Forgotten Timeline. He's not here."

I stop, feeling some puzzle pieces click into place. Then I wonder aloud, "Could it be the same creature from the water temple? But I thought he was created by Ganondorf himself..."

 **How about I save you the trouble of wondering?**

"No. Shut up. You're not a part of this."

"Link, dear? Who are you talking to?"

 **What if I told you that if you hadn't gone back in time after you so-called 'saved the world,' none of this would've happened? Or was it a few days ago- shit, time travel makes everything so damn _confusing—_**

"Why the hell should I trust you?"

The shadow under my chair suddenly shifts and morphs into the creature of my nightmares. His bottomless eyes leak black blood. He smirks as he walks over to Naomi and bends over a little to hover a finger over her face.

 **Gods, that's a big nose.** He smirks over his shoulder at me. **If I poke it, you think she'll feel it?**

I glare at him. "Knock it the fuck off. Your deal is with me, right?" I can see Naomi give me a concerned look from the corner of my eye; I'll have to explain it to her later.

He sighs, and draws his words out lazily. **Technically, sure. I mean, I _am_ connected to you, and wherever you go, so shalt I...**

He shrugs nonchalantly, as if he _wasn't_ the object of my nightmares.

 **Blah, blah, blah. Yada, yada, yada. So on, so forth, all that nonsense.**

He lowers his hand from her face and walks back towards me, so I'm looking straight into his empty eyes. His smile makes my blood run cold. It looks just like mine, but with a sharp edge that could stop the strongest heart in their tracks. He whispers cheekily,

 **I'm just here to say: Thanks for freeing me, and _have a happy birthday._**

I blink, and he's gone. My shadow slid safely back into place, and I finally realize I'm shaking. Naomi gets up from her resting place and puts her hands on my shoulders. "Link?"

I wipe away the tears that somehow fell without my noticing, and say with finality, "I have to leave. Now."

 **WWWWWW**

 _[Heeey, all you guys and gals... Know it's been a LONG while, eh?_

 _Yeah._

 _Whoops._

 _So I have a vague idea of where things are going now, just needs a bit more polishing to do. I had to reread a few things to make sure I kept details kinda accurate. So, I won't really be explaining what's happening (but I'll accept stuff like "why the fuck did you make this so confusing" lol) because it'll unfurl further as the story goes along. Tada! There'll either be more appearances of old characters, like the potion hag, or some new character(s)? Don't worry, I'm not_ totally _making up a new villain. Nah, that would be too easy. And to name him something like "Jeff" or "Randy." Ugh. No. Would NOT fit the Zelda universe._

 _Sooooo... onto reviews! Oh gosh, gimme a sec, it's been a while..._

 _Jpeepers, glad you're here and glad you liked it. Hope you haven't completely given up on this yet._

 _Ember228, thanks for talking about MM. In all honesty, I was thinking about doing something with them, but then I was like, "let's screw with reality a bit" so now it's super fucked up and it took forever for me to finally focus on a plot pivot point and now it's still giving me a headache just thinking about it- ow. Goddammit. The masks'll be brought up later, don't worry. Just so you know, yes, this IS before that first night, and it'll all build up from here. Look for the indicator, I'll tell you when we pass that night. Or maybe you'll recognize it? Ugh. Plot._

 _Lleu, I know you got my reply, but thanks for the feedback!_

 _Thanks to everyone who stuck around, I luv you, hope to see you again soon!! Like I said, now I have a vague idea of what'll happen next. I can see some shapes, but stuff can still change..._

 _Peace!_

 _-Foopuff]_


	4. Never Leave Me

" _What_?"

I stand up abruptly, and give Naomi a quick hug. "Thank you. For everything."

Her tone grows alarmed. "You say that as if it's the last time-" But I'm out the door with only a brief glance backwards before she can finish her statement.

 **WWWWWW**

It's kinda sad, really, when I notice how little I have to bring with me.

I've changed into my familiar green tunic, and I pack Zelda's deku nuts, my red and blue tunics, other clothes, and glass jars into my pouch. The rest aren't really necessary- I can grab them when I'm out. I open the trunk at the foot of my cot, and hesitate for a second. Nestled in between spare shirts and socks, I see what I'm looking for. Carefully, I pull out the Fierce Deity mask and examine it. It's the only mask I have left. After I defeated Majora, all the spirit masks I had acquired melted into nothing, hopefully meaning those spirits found some sort of peace. Not the Fierce Deity, though. No, for some reason, it decided to stay with me. Mask doesn't do crap anymore, but the relic is probably valuable to _someone_ out there.

I shudder when I remember the _pain_ of transforming into the Deity. For those long agonizing seconds, I felt like I was being split in half.

I glare at the mask, and almost drop it when I see that the mouth moved into a grin. I rub my eyes, and the mouth is back to its former, emotionless set. Sighing, I add this to the 'deal with later' list.

I wrap it in a cloth and put it in my magic pouch. Thank the Gods for magic pouches, otherwise I'd look like the Happy Mask Salesman. That backpack is almost _twice his size._ Suddenly, I remember what he managed to slip in, right before I 'rode into the sunset' on that final day.

 _"Do_ _not lose that mask, boy. It's more dangerous than you know."_

So, I kept it. I wish I didn't have to, though. Maybe I should've just given it to Ruto.

I shake my head. I'm getting sidetracked, aren't I? Yeah.

I get up and scan the room I called home a final time. A pang of regret washes over me, but I force myself to turn on my heel and walk out.

The last place I need to visit is the armory, and then I'm gone.

I open the door quietly, and look around. I don't notice anyone here at the moment. It _is_ well into the early hours of the morning by now, but I just wanted to be sure. I silently walk in, and shut the door behind me. I stride over to my personal section on the wall and take a standard issue broadsword, a shield, and whatever else I felt I needed. Sheathing my sword, I strap it and my shield onto my back. The familiar weight on my shoulder almost feels like it's trying to comfort me.

I close my eyes in the dim room, sadness pulling at my core.

Sighing, I turn around and open them again. And start in surprise.

Zelda was sitting on the bench, looking at me curiously through her crimson eyes. Her hair was done up in a high ponytail with trickles of sweat running down her face. She was dressed in her Sheikah uniform, and was holding a water bottle, now forgotten, in her lap. I can see the moment it clicks why I'm fully decked out in my gear.

"Zelda-"

"And you said _I_ shouldn't sneak out." She chuckles half-heartedly.

I swallow a lump in my throat, and look away. "This is different-"

She cuts me off. "How long are you going to be gone?" When I don't answer, she stares at me in disbelief. Her tone grows stronger and angrier with every passing moment. "You're going be gone for Nayru-knows-how-long, and you _weren't even going to say_ _goodbye_?"

I wouldn't be able to leave her if I stayed for goodbyes. Guilty silence is my answer and she shakes her head. "Unbelievable."

Zelda sighs in annoyance. "I hate that I know you have your reasons, but I'll shut up. Before you leave me behind, though," She grins brokenly, stands up and cracks her neck. Her gaze turns defiant. "I want another match. You lose, you tell me what's going on. You win, you get to leave without another word. But remember that if you ever change your mind, I'll be here to talk to. Always." She adds the last part softly, before glaring in my direction. Zelda snaps, "Hurry up so we can get this over with."

I blink at how fast her attitude changed, but I quickly unbuckle my weapon belt and set it on the floor, along with my shield. I stride towards the center of the room and settle into a fighting stance. Rolling my shoulders, I say grimly, "Alright, then. So be it."

A flash of hurt crosses her features, but is gone as soon as it came. Zelda walks to her position and gracefully shifts into her stance, bringing her hands up and balancing her center of gravity. We're ready for the match to begin.

She starts by feigning a punch to my face, forcing me to flinch as she snaps her leg up and kicks me forcefully in the solar plexus, sending me toppling over. I land flat on my back and wheeze, but immediately roll on my side and back up. It's a struggle to stay standing upright- I feel like I can't breathe. She raises an eyebrow, and I scowl.

We go back at it. Her punches, kicks, and feints are lightning fast, but I manage to block most of them, a few glancing off my cheek and side. I throw my own well-aimed attacks, trying to hit areas that would hurt like hell for only a short period of time- like that spot on the side of her leg I keep striking. She hisses but continues through her pain, using her other leg to hit my own pressure point. I grit my teeth and grab the offending ankle, pulling her forward with her own momentum. She yells as she falls on her back with a thud and I don't move to release her appendage. Instead, I quickly jab my other foot into the inside of her right knee to pin her and twist her left ankle in my hands outwards. She smacks the floor in defeat and pain, shouting, "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALREADY!"

Immediately, I drop her foot and step back.

The only sound now is our heavy breathing, and my pounding heart. The exhilarating feeling of our fight was immediately dampened by what my victory meant.

She's still laying prostrate on the floor, with an arm over her face. It's hard to make out her expression.

"Zelda?"

"You wanted to leave, didn't you?" She said coldly.

Her statement felt like a stab in my chest. I sigh, and walk over to Zelda, my closest friend. I offer her a hand. She looks at me with frustration through her burning crimson eyes, half hidden by the arm covering her face. It almost seems as if she'll refuse my hand, but then she grudgingly grabs it. I lift her back onto her feet and hold her hand for a beat longer than necessary. I pull her into a hug, and murmur in her ear, "I'm sorry, Zelda. I'll try to fix this and come back as soon as I can. Okay?"

After a few moments, I finally hear her voice whisper, "Okay," as she hugs me tighter. I close my eyes and pretend we can stay like this forever.

Eventually, though, I pull away.

I force a grin and say thoughtfully, "Hm... 'Goodbye' sounds too final. How about 'I'll see you later?'"

Before she had the chance to respond, I pull out a deku nut and throw it onto the floor. It briefly illuminated the startracks racing down my princess's cheeks.

In the few seconds the flash buys me, I grab my equipment and throw myself through the door, not trusting myself to leave if I stayed another moment. I don't know where I'll go, but _anywhere_ is better than here.

My shadow is missing from beneath me as I tear my soul in half running through the Castle Grounds, lit only by the overhanging moon. Away from her.

 **WWWWWW**

 _He left me._

 _I sink down onto my knees and my vision blurs again. I try to stop them at first, then realize no one's here to witness my agony. Which, consequently, makes me feel worse. The dam breaks, and I silently scream and sob in the dimly lit training room, not ready for a goodbye._

 _I never thought he'd leave me._

 _I snap my head up when I hear soft chuckling, and through my blurry vision, I could make out the dark silhouette. The darkness that covers him doesn't fit the lighting of the room, but I know it's Link. I do a double take, and whatever was here is gone. Great. Now I'm seeing things. I look back down._

 _"Come back," I hoarsely whisper to no one in particular. My tears flow with abandon._

 _But all that responds is the deafening silence of the empty room._

 **WWWWWW**

 _[ Well, sorry for taking so long. Again. And this will probably not be the last apology from me. Sorry this chapter almost counts as filler, but that means next chapter will resume where the first one left off. Isn't that great? Some plot development?! WOOP!!!_

 _I probably should've started this sooner. You know how you feel like writing, but then you stare at an empty page for a few minutes and go cross-eyed? Yep. That. Finally I just kinda got back into it, though, so that's pretty good. Hey look, the Fierce Deity mask finally shows up this chapter! Buuuut it doesn't change Link into anything anymore. It only worked whenever he was facing Majora. "But if it doesn't work, why was it mentioned at all?!" Heheh, you'll see. You'll see._

 _Ah, and the last italic bit is from Zelda's POV... if you couldn't figure that out..._

 _I tried to make the fight scenes pretty accurate technique-wise, and since I know that a bare fist to the skull is NOT very pleasant, to say the least, I tried not to say stuff like that. And they weren't really aiming to maime and/or seriously injure their partner, either; just for a submission. So... yep. Ah, rambling. Something I noticed I'm pretty good at. Geez..._

 _Pat4pat, thank you for your kind review! I really appreciate it!!! I'm glad you like the story, and the plot only thickens from here!!! (Hopefully, and it's not disappointing like a watered-down soda. Bleh.)_

 _Thank you to those who favorited and followed so far, and I hope you have a good rest of your day/night/morning??? Leave a review or PM me if you want!! I'm game for anything._

 _See ya around!_

 _-Foopuff]_


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